Bathroom fixture



Feb. 27, 1962 R. MAASSEN BATHROOM FIXTURE Filed Jan. 10, 1961 F IIIIIIT'III.

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H N N mm 5 r W%A 5V0 3 Rw 7 J United States Patent M 3,023,067 BATHROOM FIXTURE Ren Maassen, Encino, Calif. (4100 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, Calif.), assignor of one-half to Eldred A. Talbott, Altadena, Calif.

Filed Jan. 10, 1961, Ser. No. 81,714 3 Claims. (Cl. 312-242) This invention relates to a bathroom fixture, the invention contemplating improvements in which soap and hand grab features are combined to provide a fixture of improved utility.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fixture of the character indicated in which an improved soapholding insert with simplified and improved retention means therefor in provided to facilitate ready removal and insertion thereof in the fixture housing.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a fixture with a hand grab portion so spaced from the soapholding insert that easy access to the soap is afforded as well as leaving space for insertion and removal of the insert for cleaning.

This invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description and which is based on the accompanying drawing. However, said drawing merely shows, and the following description merely describes one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a bathroom fixture showing a preferred embodiment of the present combination fixture.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view as taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

The present bathroom fixture comprises, generally, a metal housing 5, a hand grab 6 affixed to said housing, a soap holder 7 disposed as a removable insert in said housing, and studs 8, one on each side of the housing, to retain the holder 7 in position until removal is desired.

The housing comprises a partly cylindrical central wall 10 that defines a front recess 11 which extends between upper and lower walls, 12 and 13, that have a segmental form according to the curvature of wall =10. A rectangular frame 14 surrounds the recess 11 and is provided with a beveled edge 15. Said frame is placed against the face of a wall into a recess in which the wall 10 extends to conceal the edge of the wall recess. To hold the housing 5 in permanent position in a wall recess suitable anchor brackets 16 are provided on the rear face of wall 10, the same being adapted to be embedded in grouting, mortar, plaster or other bonding material that may be placed in said wall recess.

The hand grab 6 is shown as a transverse metal tube or bar 17 that is held by its ends by forwardly extending brackets 18 that are afiixed by rearwardly applied screws 19 to the outside of frame 14 which is channel shaped for extra rigidity and to cover the heads of screws 19. As can be seen from FIG. 2, said tube 17 is forwardly spaced from the housing so that the same may be grasped by the hand as an aid to a person arising from a tub or entering the same. It will be noted that the hand grab 6 is located substantially nearer to the upper end of the housing than to the lower end, thereby leaving the lower portion of the housing recess 11 unobstructed.

3,023,067 Patented Feb. 27, 1962 The soap-holder 7 is preferably formed of a transparent material of which the plastic Lucite is an example. Sheet material is preferred. Said holder, because of its transparency, is unobtrusive and carries out its function as a removable holder with but little impairment of the outward appearance of the fixture.

Said holder 7 comprises a plate part 20 that is shaped to conform, generally, to the cylindrical curvature of the mentioned wall 13 of the housing 5. Said part is preferably provided with a forwardly extending portion 21 that has rounded corners and extends forwardly of the frame 14, as can be seen from FIG. 2. A depending skirt 22 is provided on the forward edge of the plate extension 21,

the same constituting an outer part that presents a smooth hand-encountering surface when a person is reaching for soap disposed upon the plate part 20. A curved rear wall 23 extends upwardly from the curved edge of plate part 20, the same extending circumferentially toward but short of the frame 14. Thus, when the holder 7 is in position in the housing, the ends 24 of wall 23 are disposed inward of the frame 14 of the housing.

:If desired, the plate part 20 and its extension 21 may be provided with soap-supporting embossments or ridges 25 to space a soap cake above the top surface of said part 20 and its extension.

The studs 8, preferably of rectangular cross-section, are aflixed adjacent the frame 14 on the wall 10, the same extending toward each other to extend in front of the edges 24 of the curved wall 23 of the holder. Thus, the studs loosely retain the holder 7 against forward displacement, the loose fit of the holder in the recess 11 allowing the same to be shifted laterally to free one of the edges 24 from its retaining stud 8, enabling the holder to be swung outwardly from said recess 11. As an alternative, notches 26 may be provided in the opposite edges of the plate part 20 forward of the edges 24 of the wall 23. The holder may be lifted because the notches clear the studs 8, enabling forward removal of the holder.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what is now contemplated to be the best mode of carrying out the invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is not desired to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illlustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A bathroom fixture adapted to be set into a recess in the wall above a bathtub, comprising: a housing formed to extend into said recess with vertical, top and bottom walls; a front frame part extending from the front edge of said walls and surrounding the margin of said housing to lie against the wall around the recess therein, at least the vertical portions of the frame being of channel section and integral with the vertical wall of the housing; brackets secured to the upper portion of said channel section side portions of the frame by securing means located in the channel section; a hand grab with its ends secured in said brackets; an article-supporting plate resting on the bottom wall of said housing and projecting outwardly beyond the front edge of the bottom wall; a skirt depending from the outer edge of said article-supporting plate and at each end abutting the lower portion of the frame; and projections inwardly extending from adjacent the front edges of the vertical Wall and spaced above the article-supporting plate, abutments extending vertically from the side margin of said plate to engage against said projections, the inner margin of said plate being rounded and the width of the plate being such that the abutment at one side of the plate may be freed from the projection at that side and the plate swung outwardly and freed from the projection on the opposite side, enabling the plate to be pulled out of the housing.

2. A bathroom fixture adapted to be set into a recess in the wall above a bathtub, comprising: a housing formed to extend into said recess with vertical, top and bottom walls; a front frame part extending from the front edge of said walls and surrounding the margin of said housing to lie against the wall around the recess therein, at least the vertical portions of the frame being of channel section and integral with the vertical wall of the housing; brackets secured to the upper portion of said channel section side portions of the frame by securing means located in the channel section; a hand grab with its ends secured in said brackets; an article-supporting plate resting on the bottom Wall of said housing and projecting outwardly beyond the front edge of the bottom wall; a skirt depending from the outer edge of said article-supporting plate and at each end abutting the lower portion of the frame; and projections extending inwardly from adjacent the front edges of the vertical wall of the fixture and spaced above the article-supporting plate, abutments extending vertically from the side margins of the plate to abut said projections to prevent the plate from being pulled forwardly out of p the fixture until freed from said projections, said plate being provided with marginal notches aligned with said projections to enable the plate to be lifted clear of said projections.

3. A bathroom fixture adapted to be set into arecess in the wall above a bathtub, comprising: a housing formed to extend into said recess with vertical, top and bottom walls; a front frame part extending from the front edge of said walls and surrounding the margin of said housing to lie against the Wall around the recess therein, at least the vertical portions of the frame being of channel section and integral with the vertical wall of the housing; brackets secured to the upper portion of said channel section side portions of the frame by securing means located in the channel section; a hand grab with its ends secured in said brackets; an article-supporting plate resting on the bottom wall of said housing and projecting outwardly beyond the front edge of the bottom wall; a skirt depending from the outer edge of said article-supporting plate and at each end abutting the lower portion of the frame; and interengaging means on the inner surface of the housing and the plate effective to prevent the plate from being pulled out of the housing until the plate has been released from the means on the inner surface of the housmgr References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,725,802 Hoegger Aug. 27, 1929 2,366,447 Gerity et al. Jan. 2, 1945 2,577,011 Hallenscheid Dec. 4, 1951 

